Sheet dispensing device



July 12, 1966 N. N. LAREAU ETAL 3,260,402

SHEET DISPENSING DEVICE Filed May 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NORMAN N-LAREAU CARL H- ZIRNGIBL INVEN ORS AZLQM ATTORNEYS July 12, 1966 N. N.LAREAU ETAL 3,250,402

SHEET DISPENSING DEVICE Filed May 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG5 FIG-NORMAN N- LAREAU CARL H-ZIRNGIBL INVENTORS A T TORNE YS United StatesPatent Ofiice 3,260,4ti2 SHEET DHSPENSENG DEVICE Norman N. Lareau,Fairport, and Carl H. Zirngihi,

Rochester, N.Y., assignors to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., acorporation of New Jersey Filed May 15, 1964, Ser. No. 367,651 3 Qiaims.(Ci. 22l t) This invention relates generally to sheet feeding, and morespecifically to an improved sheet dispensing device.

Dispensing devices for feeding single sheets 'of material are well knownin the art. However, none of such devices satisfactorily fulfillscertain desirable requirements for sheet dispensers such as easyloading, the feeding of single sheets of material with good reliability,the ability to easily accommodate the return of a sheet into thedispenser after it has been inadvertently dispensed, and means forconstantly indicating quantity of sheets of material in the dispenser.Applicants improved sheet dispensing device is believed tosatisfactorily fulfill all of the above-stated requirements.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improvedsheet dispensing device that will reliably feed single sheets ofmaterial from a stack.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sheetdispensing device that is extremely easy to load with sheets ofmaterial.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved sheetdispensing device in which an inadvertently advanced or dispensed sheetmay be returned to the dispensing device with ease.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet dispensing devicethat is of simple design and construction, thoroughly reliable andefficient in operation, and economical to manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved sheetdispensing device having means therein for selectively serving the dualfunction of indicating the quantity of sheets in the dispensing device,and withdrawing a sheet feeding roller from the sheets of material forloading purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sheetdispensing device designed so that several of them may be stacked, oneupon the other, to give a selection of different sheet sizes and kindsof material with a minimum of table space.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sheetdispensing device having a sheet feeding roller, a breaking mechanism ofsimple design to limit rotation of the roller to one direction, and adrawer for a stack of sheet material upon which the roller bears, andadapted when reciprocally moved from and to a normal closed position tofeed a single sheet of material.

Objects and advantages other than those set forth above will be apparentfrom the following description when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sheet dispensing device constructed inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention, and showingthe drawer thereof in an open position;

3,260,4fi2 Patented July 12, 1956 FIG. 2 is a side elevation view,partly in section of the sheet dispensing device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, segmental view showing the sheet dispensingdevice with the drawer in a closed position, and a sheet in the processof being dispensed therefrom;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation View of a sheet feeding roller and lockingmechanism therefor, and the position assumed thereby upon movement ofthe drawer to its open position; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the position of the rollerand locking mechanism upon movement of the drawer to its normal closedposition.

Referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of a sheet dispensingdevice according to the present invention is disclosed in FIG. 1 ascomprising an open ended housing or cabinet 6 for slidably receiving aboxshaped drawer 8 having an open top. The cabinet 6 comprises athree-walled cover 10 to which a base plate 12 having upwardly extendingsides 14 is secured by means of ramped ribs 16 on cover 10 extendinginto notches 18 in the sides. Since cover lil is flat, a plurality ofthe devices, each having a different sheet size or kind of material, maybe stacked one upon the other so that a number of sheet sizes and kindsof material are available in a minimum of table space. The drawer 8 hasa handle 2% on its front end to facilitate manual movement of drawer 8by an operator between open and closed positions. The handle 20 mayfurther have a depression or pocket on its outer surface, not shown, forreceiving a label identifying the type of material placed in drawer 8. Aspring 22 (see FIG. 2) is interposed between plate 12 and drawer 8 withone end thereof secured to 2. lug 24 on plate 12, and the opposite endsecured to a hook 26 on drawer 8 for biasing the drawer into itsnormally closed position in which shoulders 28 on handle 20 engage thefront end of cover It The lower surface of drawer 8 further has a rib 30along each side thereof (see FIG. 3) which cooperates with a front lip32 of plate 12 when the operator lifts up slightly on the front end ofdrawer 8 and moves rib 30 over lip 32 and into engagement with the otherside thereof for releasably holding drawer 8 in its open position forloading or the like. The drawer 8 further has a vertically extendingpartition 34 spanning the side walls thereof with lugs 36 along itsbottom and ends selectively cooperating with slots in the drawer toprovide an adjustable backstop to accommodate various lengths of sheets38 of paper or some other material.

The mechanism for feeding sheets 38 in cooperation with movement ofdrawer 8 between its open and closed positions, comprises a shaft 40rotatably mounted on the underside of cover It with one end of shaft 40extending through a side of cover 10, and another portion thereofnesting in a slot 42 (shown dotted in FIG. 1) in cover 10 and heldtherein by a cover plate 44. The shaft 49 has a crank arm 46 with aU-shaped end 48 transverse thereto having one leg 50 thereof rotatablysupporting a roller 52 of soft rubber or polyurethane foam material. Theroller 52 is pivoted along with end 48 and arm 46 about the axis ofshaft 40, and is urged by the combined action of a torsion spring 53 andgravity into engagement with the top sheet of a stack of sheet material38 placed in drawer 8. A lever 54 secured to one end of shaft 40provides a handle 'by which roller 52 may be withdrawn from the stack ofsheets 38 upon manual movement of handle 54 in a counterclockwisedirection. In addition, indicia 56 may be provided on the side of thecabinet such as the designations full and empty and incrementstherebetween over which the end of handle travels depending upon theposition of roller 52 for indicating the quantity of sheets 38 in drawer8.

In order to feed sheets 38, it is necessary that roller 52 be free toturn in a counterclockwise direction about leg 50 as drawer 8 iswithdrawn from cabinet 10, but to be locked to prevent rotation in theclockwise direction when drawer 8 is returned to its closed position.This is accomplished by a flat plate 58 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) ofsubstantially the same width as roller 52 having one end 60 thereofpivotally mounted to leg 62 of U-shaped end 48, and its opposite endhaving a lip 64 thereon for engaging the periphery of roller 52. It isobvious from an examination of FIG. 4 that counterclockwise rotation ofroller 52 will impart a force to plate 58 tending to move it in acounterclockwise direction about leg 62 and out of interference withroller 52. On the other hand (see FIG. 5), the forces developed byroller 52 when an attempt is made to rotate it in a clockwise directionacting on lip 64 of plate 58 tends to move the plate in a clockwisedirection about leg 62 causing lip 64 thereof to be forced intoengagement with the periphery of roller 52 and to lock it from rotation.

In order to prevent double or multiple feeding of sheets 38, the frontend of drawer 8 functions as a deflector of a U-shaped cross section asseen in FIG. 3, one portion 66 of which is slanted at an angle ofsubstantially 45 with respect to the plane of the sheets 38 of material,and the upper portion 68 thereof reverses and extends toward cabinet 10at approximately an angle of 135. A strip of friction material 70 suchas emery paper is secured by any suitable means to the inner surface ofthe portions 66, 68 at their apex, with one end thereof bearing againsta shoulder 72 to provide a smooth surface.

In the operation of this invention, when a drawer 8 having a stack ofsheets 38 placed therein is withdrawn from cabinet 10 toward the openposition, the stack of sheets 38 which are engaged by roller 52 impartrotation to the roller in a counterclockwise direction about leg 50.Movement of the stack of sheets 38, in addition, tends to pivotally moveroller 52 and arm 46 about the axis of shaft 40 in a counterclockwisedirection against the bias of spring 53, thereby reducing the amount offrictional force applied to the stack of sheets 38 by roller 52. Whendrawer 8 is returned to its closed position, the stack of sheets 38tends to move roller 52 in a clockwise direction about leg 50, and thearm 46 and roller 52 in a clockwise direction about the axis of shaft40. This action immediately causes locking plate 58 to lock roller 52preventing a clockwise rotation thereof, and further increases the forcedirected downwardly against the stack of sheets 38 by roller 52 overthat due to spring 53 and gravity alone. The locked roller 52frictionally holds the upper sheet or sheets 38 of the stack whiledrawer 8 and the remaining sheets are moved inwardly toward the closedposition. As drawer 8 is moved inwardly, the leading end of the heldsheets 38 engages portion 66 and is directed upwardly therealong andinto engagement with the surface of the friction material 70. Thefriction material 70 essentially prevents further forward movement ofthe upper sheets 38 so that continued movement of drawer 8 will causethe leading end of the uppermost sheet in most instances to bowoutwardly as shown dotted in FIG. 3, and then to pop loose, extendingpartially above portion 68 of drawer 8 as shown in full lines in FIG. 3.In other instances, the leading end of the uppermost one of the sheets38 slides along the friction material 70 while the leading end of thenext sheet is held back thereby. Consequently, when drawer 8 is in itsfully closed position, the leading end of the top sheet 38 will beextending partially out of the drawer 8, and may be manually removedtherefrom.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference toa preferred embodiment thereof, but it will be understood thatvariations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scopeof the invention as described hereinabove and as defined in the appendedclaims.

We claim:

1. In a sheet dispensing device, the combination comprising:

a housing; a drawer supported by said housing for receiving a stack ofsheets to be fed therefrom one at a time, and movable relative to saidhousing to and from an initial position to feed a sheet;

a feed roller;

means for rotatably supporting said roller and movable between anoperative position in which said roller is in rolling engagement withthe uppermost sheet in said stack of sheets and its axis of rotation isfixed relative to the path of movement of said drawer, and aninoperative position in which said roller is removed from engagementwith said stack of sheets to allow insertion of sheets into said drawer;and

breaking means cooperating with the periphery of said roller when in itsoperative position to allow said roller to be rotated in one directiondue to its engagement with the uppermost sheet in said stack of sheetsas said drawer is moved from its initial position, and to preventrotation of said roller in the opposite direction to hold the uppermostsheet against movement as said drawer is returned to its initialposition whereby said uppermost sheet is fed from said stack of sheets.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said braking meanscomprises an arm pivoted at one end, and having a lip on its other endin engagement with the periphery of said roller.

3. The invention according to claim 1, and further including means onsaid drawer for separating sheets so that only one sheet at a time isfed out of said drawer.

4. The invention according to claim 3 wherein said separating meanscomprises a U-shaped deflector for deflecting the upper sheets upwardlyand backwardly, said deflector having a friction surface.

5. The invention according to claim 4 wherein said friction surface isprovided by a strip of emery paper secured to said deflector.

6. The invention according to claim 5, and further including an indiciameans, said roller supporting means having a handle for moving saidsupporting means to its inoperative position, and cooperating with saidindicia means in the operative position of said supporting means toindicate the amount of sheets in said drawer.

7. In a sheet dispensing device, the combination comprising:

an open ended housing;

a drawer slidably supported by said housing for receiving a stack ofsheets to be fed one at a time, and movable to and from a closedposition to feed a sheet;

a feed roller;

a support member pivotally supported by said housing and having aU-shaped end for rotatably supporting said feed roller, said memberhaving a handle by which said support member may be moved between anoperative position in which said roller is in pressure engagement withsaid stack of sheets, and an inoperative position in which said rolleris removed from engagement with said stack of sheets to allow insertionof sheets into said drawer; and

an arm having one end pivotally supported by said U-shaped end and a lipon its other end cooperating 5 6 with the periphery of said roller whenin its operative References Cited by the Examiner position to allow saidroller to be rotated in one UNITED STATES PATENTS direction due to itsengagement with the uppermost sheet in said stack of sheets as saiddrawer is moved 3081285 11/1884 Sedgewlck 271-19 from its initialposition, and to prevent rotation of 5 588,056 8/ 1897 y 221259 X saidroller in the opposite direction to hold the up- 1,960,482 9 Duncan27122 X permost sheet against movement as said drawer is 2,451,38210/1948 Davis 221-186 X returned to its initial position whereby saidupper- 2,872,189 2/1959 Robinson 27154 most sheet is fed from said stackof sheets. 3,126,122 3/ 1964 Sacre 221-43 8. The invention according toclaim 7, and further in- 10 eluding an indicia means on said housing,said handle co- BENSON WOOD, Primary Examineroperating with said indiciameans in the operative position ROBERT REEVES Examiner of said supportmember to indicate the amount of sheets i id drawer R. A. SCHACHER,Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A SHEET DISPENSING DEVICE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A HOUSING;A DRAWER SUPPORTED BY SAID HOUSING FOR RECEIVING A STACK OF SHEETS TO BEFED THEREFROM ONE AT A TIME, AND MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID HOUSING TO ANDFROM AN INITIAL POSITION TO FEED, A SHEET; A FEED ROLLER; MEANS FORROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID ROLLER AND MOVABLE BETWEEN AN OPERATIVEPOSITION IN WHICH SAID ROLLER IS IN ROLLING ENGAGEMENT WITH THEUPPERMOST SHEET IN SAID STACK OF SHEETS AND ITS AXIS OF ROTATION ISFIXED RELATIVE TO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID DRAWER, AND ANINOPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH SAID ROLLER IS REMOVED FROM ENGAGEMENTWITH SAID STACK OF SHEETS TO ALLOW INSERTION OF SHEETS INTO SAID DRAWER;AND BREAKING MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROLLER WHEN INITS OPERATIVE POSITION TO ALLOW SAID ROLLER TO BE ROTATED IN ONEDIRECTION DUE TO ITS ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UPPERMOST SHEET IN SAID STACKOF SHEETS AS SAID DRAWER IS MOVED FROM ITS INITIAL POSITION, AND TOPREVENT ROTATION OF SAID ROLLER IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO HOLD THEUPPERMOST SHEET AGAINST MOVEMENT AS SAID DRAWER IS RETURNED TO ITSINITIAL POSITION WHEREBY SAID UPPERMOST SHEET IS FED FROM SAID STACK OFSHEETS.